A master's art
by Goat13
Summary: What if Kenichi started training early? What if he became a master at 21 and had to use his martial arts to provide for his family. And when his sister becomes a disciple for Ryuzanpaku, what will he do?
1. A Fork In The Path

What if Kenichi was a master? This was a thought I had in my mind for a while. In my other fanfic Kenichi was a disciple for Yami, but what if he was actually a master and Honoka became a disciple for Ryozanpaku instead? Also I'm changing the age gap between Honoka and Kenichi. Honoka will be 15 when she enters the world of martial arts and Kenichi will be 21.

Now some will be wondering about how he can be a master when he is so young? Answer: He started training very young, 6 years old, under his grandfather Shirahama Ichirou in a martial arts style that been passed down in his family. But how will that change the events of canon?

Read and find out…

* * *

**Flashback 15 years ago…**

"_Hey dad, what are you doing here?" Mototsugu asked the muscular, albeit old man standing outside the door. _

_The man, Shirahama Ichirou, was a tall man by Japanese standards and, even though the kimono and hakama he wore concealed most of I, he as indeed very muscular. He carried a large bag on his back, a monster of a thing not even man in his prime should be able to carry, but it didn't seem to bother. His black hair, now slowly being replaced by gray was tied in a long braid ending somewhere near his knees. His eyebrows had a peculiar shape to the, zigzagging towards the ends._

"_If it isn't Mo-chan! I actually came here to meet you, but if it isn't too much trouble do you mind if I can come in for a cup of tea first? Travelling all day has left my throat all dry and these old bones aren't what they used to be…!" The old man said with a smile on his face as he faced his son for the first time in over 5 years._

_Mototsugu grimaced at the horrible nickname his father had given him as a child, but ignored it as he invited him in to the house._

"_Of course! Come on in, Saori has been talking about how we should have the family come together for a family reunion. Kenichi hasn't seen for 5 years and he was just a year old when he last saw you, he won't remember you at this rate." He said as they walked into the living room. Inside was Shirahama Saori, wife of Mototsugu holding her two months old daughter, Honoka and her older brother Kenichi reading a picture book about a man called Bruce Bee, a man who had been stung by a radioactive bee and gained powers from it and later became a superhero called Beeman… Suffice to say; when his dad came back it was not hard to gain the six year olds attention._

_Putting the book down and noticing the older man with his dad he was intrigued by the large bag the man held. Larger than both him and his dad, it barely fit in the hallway._

"_Honey, look who came to visit us! It's my dad, remember him?" The Father of two asked his wife as she noticed him enter._

"_Oh my, it's really him! Excuse me, I didn't know you were coming, if I had I would have cleaned up more. I'm sorry for how it looks, but I barely have time to clean now that Honoka is born." Her nervousness was understandable. Before she married her husband she had been slightly intimidated by his father, a man who she understood was a martial artist. When she had married Mototsugu Ichirou had been kind enough to give them his house to live. Even now he was the real owner of the Shirahama residence, but in the last 8 years he had been traveling the world with his older son Katsurou. Showing him a house filled with baby toys and clothes on the floor to the owner was not a way to show appreciation and respect._

_The older man just waved and smiled. "Don't worry about cleaning when you have two kids to take care of. I'm more ashamed that my son isn't taking better care of you now." He said as he sent a small look of anger towards Mototsugu, who had the decency to look ashamed. _

_As they sat down with a cup of the in their hands Ichirou started telling them if the things he had seen during his time abroad. From china to Africa, North America to Europe and Australia to South America, it was an amazing tale. It took almost three hours before he ended his tale with a sad grimace._

"_It was in Indonesia when Katsu started showing symptoms. Before we knew it, he couldn't eat or drink and his body started having seizures every time we tried to move. We didn't know what to do. In the end I had to carry him to the closest hospital, but it was too late. When we got to the hospital he was at death's door and the doctors could only diagnose him with a disease that bats spread by biting patients. There was no cure. I'm sorry Mo-chan. Katsu is dead." He finished while squeezing his teacup in his hands. _

_Mototsugu was too shocked for words. His older brother was dead? Sure he didn't have the best relationship with him, the difference in age was more than 15 years and Katsu had a poor opinion of him ever since he pursued a career in economics instead of martial art, but he still thought fondly of him. To think that he had died without having spoken to him in over 8 years and the last thing the said to eachother was how they disliked their various lifestyles was depressing to say the least._

_Putting his face in his hands he slowly started shaking, and despite trying to hide, the tears didn't stop. As he sobbed in his palms, his wife put her arms around him and led him to the bedroom. _

_He didn't want to show his children how their father was crying._

* * *

**Two weeks later, after the funeral…**

_Funerals had always been a small and private affair in the Shirahama household. The father and brother had organized it and the only ones attending it were Ichirou, Mototsugu, Saori, Kenichi and Honoka. After the funeral Mototsugu and Saori had gone to arrange things at the family grave, leaving Ichirou to babysit the kids. now leaving a two months old baby and a six years old boy in the hands of a 80 year old man might seem irresponsible, but this man had raised Mototsugu alone after the mother had died in childbirth and his mind had not lost its touch to take care of children that much yet.. _

_Honoka was currently sleeping in her crib and __Ichirou__ was listening to the monitor (which he had been amazed to find out existed) while playing a game of chess with Kenichi, a boy who had a surprising intellect for his age. He had lost all the time so far, but he had learned the rules fast could come up with good strategies, for his age that is. _

"_Kenichi, do you ever feel like you want to be something more?" his grandfather asked as he took Kenichi's bishop. He looked up with a puzzled expression, not quite understanding the question._

"_What do you mean, grandpa?" Ichirou tried making the question simpler for the youth. "I mean, do want to do something more than just be a normal kid? Like a hero or a warrior? Maybe a gangster or something like that?" he asked instead._

"_Yeah, I do. I wanna be an awesome superhero and do cool stuff like the Beeman or Ratman! Or use the Badouken or the Kamebameba! "The boy said as he started doing weird movements with his hands, using terms that the old man was unfamiliar with, but he knew there was an interest in such things._

_**`Hmmm, truth is ever since Katsu died I have been looking for a successor for our `**_ _**Ryuujin Tennin-style'. Mototsugu never had an interest in martial arts and Honoka is too young. There are no more branch families either. We still have enough money to buy a child of relative talent from Kuremisago, but that would tell the rest of the world that we don't have a successor anymore. Damn you Silcardo! If only you hadn't killed Katsu then we wouldn't be in this mess. To make matters worse I had to lie to Mo-chan about how he died, otherwise he would never let me train his children. **_

"_Well ken-chan, I do know a way to make you stronger, but you mustn't tell your father or mother I told you this, okay?" at this Kenichi's head whirled around so fast to focus on him he was afraid it would damage his neck. Since it didn't seem like there was any damage he took him out in the garden and formed a fist._

"_Ken-chan, do you know what martial arts are?" He shook his head. "Martial arts are a way to train your body into a powerful weapon. There are many kinds of martial arts including karate, kempo, boxing, muay Thai, jiujutsu, tae-kwon-do and many more, but our family have developed a style called Ryuujin Tennin (Dragon king Heavenly being). It is a mixture of Chinese kempo, karate, Aikido and Muay Bora, an older form of muay thai. Your uncle and I were the last users of this art, but since your uncle died I have no disciple left. As it stands it seems unless someone wishes to learn it it will die out." He said as he let his fist fall. _

_Kenichi didn't understand why martial arts were important though so he asked what made it so special. "What makes out style so different then?"_

"_Because over 600 years of training and experience went into making our style one of japans strongest.400 years our family was one of the strongest in japan, although we went by a different name. We amassed wealth and land, but because we became arrogant and lax in our training we lost to other families and arts. Now we are the last of what remains of the Shirokaijin family. Centuries of noble blood flow through our veins and that blood is the reason we are martial artist all the way into our bones." He demonstrated by smashing his fist into the ground and created a small crater from his punch._

_Now to a six year old child this will seem awesome (although even an adult will consider it to be awesome). For Kenichi however it was more than awesome. _

_He had found what he wanted…_

"_Grandpa, can you tech me that?!" he asked as he pointed to the hole in the ground._

_Ichirou simply smiled and said:"I'll teach you that and more." _

_He lost his smile when he realized the shock from the punch had woken Honoka and the screams started pouring out of the monitor._

_Never a dull moment…_

* * *

**Timeskip 3 years**

_An earthquake shook japan… it was a massive one, one that reached 9.2 on the Richter scale. Buildings designed to withstand earthquakes crumbled on top of the innocents who tried to escape. Tokyo was hit the worst. The casualties numbered in the millions, made even worse because under tourist season there was no way to make a correct assumption on just how many people needed help. Then came the flood... It dragged houses and cars still filled with people inside and either crush them with debris or dragged them out to sea. _

"_I'm sorry Shirahama-san." The doctor said as he informed Ichirou and Kenichi of the situation. "Shirahama Saori-san was trapped beneath a large amount of debris and had most of her skeleton crushed. She also seems to have braindamage from an impact, most likely also debris. As a result, she is appears to have fallen into a coma We are uncertain if she'll ever wake upp.."_

_Kenichi who up until now hadn't said a word, started crying and lost control over his legs. Ichirou on the other hand asked the doctor "And my son, Mototsugu?"_

_The doctor shook his head. "We don't have anyone here by that name, sir. I don't mean to be rude, but it's most likely that he was killed. Just finding Saori-san was a stroke of luck. She was in the policestation because her purse had been stolen."_

_Ichirou clenched his fist. Damn Mo-chan and his stupid sense for romance. Wanting to have a romantic glass of champagne on top of Tokyo tower on his and Saori's anniversary was fine and dandy, but to think that he would have to bury both his sons because of one's arrogance and the other's love. Fate was truly a cruel mistress._

"_Now Shirahama-san, about Saori-san's treatment, as you know she cannot be moved from here until she is stabilized, but this is a busy hospital so our services are rather… expensive." Ichirou swore he could see a smile on the doctor's face. Sometimes he really hated the current era._

_After he had arranged for Saori's treatment (a very expensive one that would bankrupt them within the span of five years) he turned to Kenichi. Honoka had been left with a neighbor who had been friends with his son and daughter-in-law. Kenichi though wanted to come with him. Although the sight of him sobbing on the ground made him want to comfort him, he had never been good with empathy and sympathy and feelings. So he did the next best thing._

"_What the hell are you crying about?!" he asked the boy. This voice was so harsh that even though he had been put through extreme training by the old man, was surprised to the point that he forgot to cry. "I don't care if you dad's dead and mom is comatose, you are the only family Honoka has left and as her brother you have a responsibility to protect her!" _

_The boy who had up until now been dependent on his parents and grandfather would have to grow up fast soon it seems._

* * *

_**Timeskip 3 years**_

"_I said 1000 pushups, not 999.5 pushups. Do it again, on one hand this time!" The old man yelled as he watched the twelve year old Kenichi do his morning routine. Everytime `Ichi-jiji' as Kenichi called him would notice him finish he would find something wrong with his form, he would order him to do it again, only to make it harder than before._

_When Kenichi was halfway through the second set of pushups Ichi-jiji disappeared only to land on the child's back and sitting down on his shoulder to increase difficulty. _

"_What's wrong, Ichi-gaki? Getting' tired already?" he taunted, using the name he had given Kenichi after discovering that Kenichi called him Ichi-jiji in secret. _

_This was the normal start for Kenichi's day. Training, breakfast, school, training, dinner, training, homework and depending on whether Ichi-jiji was in a good mood, he would only have a light spar with him after homework. If he was in a bad mood it would be a complete training session again._

_Despite not having a good social life, Kenichi didn't mind it. He spent time with his sister whenever he wasn't training as she still didn't understand what he was doing, he spent time with his grandfather whom he actually admired despite the harsh regime and he could visit his mother anytime that occupied. He was also a good chef and had learnt how to create and repair most household machinery after his grandpa told him how the training machines he made Kenichi use worked. Not a fun moment, but useful nonetheless. _

_Thinking about the training always made him think of how honoka's life would be like. Would it be like his, a constant training regime of martial arts and combat or would she be allowed to choose her own path._

_Don't mistake his acceptance of his life for love. He liked to train and learn, but he wished he could enjoy life like his classmates. He had never gone to the movies or the various festivals. His grandfather had not considered such events to be of value. Even when he had tried to sneak out he had been caught and forced to spar the entire night instead. Not a pleasant moment that one either._

_He didn't want Honoka to have such a life. He wanted her to keep that innocent spark in her eyes, filled with mischief and joy. Kenichi hadn't seen that spark in his own eyes since the Tokyo earthquake. The last day of his childhood… _

_*cough blergh cough*_

_He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of coughs from his master. Lately Ichi-jiji had been coughing and eating bad lately. It couldn't be a cold. He should have gotten better by now…_

"_Oi, Ichi-gaki! You're not doing anything later today right?" He already knew the answer though. "It's about time I show another part of our legacy… Satsujinken…"_

**Later that night…**

"_Go ahead, finish it…" the teenager said. He was 14-15, a muscular build and brown. It would be difficult to describe him better because most of his face was covered in blood and his legs and arms were broken. He couldn't even see as his eyes had been smashed in._

_Kenichi was better though. He had a cut under his eye and a bleeding lip. Numerous cuts covered his body, but none more than a few millimeters deep. Although at the fighters words he was left confused. "What do you mean?" He asked._

"_He means that he wants you to kill him, to end his shame." He heard a voice to his left. His grandfather and another man stood beside him, both eying the broken youth on the ground. His master continued; "When a martial artist who follows the path of Satsujinken enters a battle he is betting his life on his skill. If he wins then he kills his opponent. If he loses then he is killed by his opponent. He lost to you and therefore it is your duty to kill him Kenichi." Up until now he had spoken with a grandfather voice, but now his voice varied no warmth, familiarity or any feelings whatsoever._

"_But isn't killing too much? I mean he's already beaten, why do I have to kill him?" he asked his master as it was obvious that this man was not his grandfather._

"_Simply because the true form of martial arts lies in the death of your opponent! If you don't kill the weaklings then the world will only grow weaker and suffocate under the weight of the excess. The weak must die for the strong to thrive. It's the same for you, Honoka and Saori. In two months we won't have money for you mother's treatment. That's why I made the bet with his master. If you a younger disciple could kill his own who have trained longer then you he would pay for 3 months of treatment, but the deal is off if you don't kill him now!" The last part was screamed, but the message was clear. `Kill the boy or your mother dies!'_

_Slowly Kenichi turned to the broken human being lying on the cold cement. He clenched his fist, feeling the blood that had dried up shatter into flakes. He took a deep breath…_

_And then he crushed his opponent skull with his fist…_

* * *

**2 years later**

_A 14 year old Kenichi was sitting on a chair at a hospital, the same hospital his mother was in. However, he was not visiting her. _

_Shirahama Ichirou had been a strong man, a master in martial arts and a man who had been capable of fighting on equal terms with Silcardo Jenazad. He had been strong, but age and sickness had taken that away from him. He was now a mere shell of his former self. He couldn't even feed himself anymore._

_During the years since Kenichi's first kill he had been forced to accept assassination-requests and to fight in the underground arena for money more and more as Ichirou became weaker and weaker. The last year he had only spent his energy teaching, but not sparring or fighting. Kenichi's experience came from fighting other martial artists now and he also had to control his own exercises as well because Ichi-jiji only focused on techniques now, knowing he had little time left._

"_Ken… ichi… listen… all the techniques of the Ryuujin…Tennin are in… the scrolls and books… hidden in the… hidden compartment… on the fourth floor… despite your age… you are close to master level. In a few years… you'll be a great…example of our bloodline at its best… don't disappoint me, Kenichi… not like your father did…" the old man said through the oxygen mask._

_Kenichi felt the anger spike at the jab towards his father, but he kept his cool. _

"_I won't, master. Don't worry, I'll show them that Ryuujin Tennin is the strongest art in the world." Even though he didn't feel like advertising that he was the last practitioner in the world, he said to make the man feel better at calm._

"_Also remember to train Honoka as well… I didn't have time to … train her, but… she should have a… lot of talent, if you are… any indication, haha *__**cough blergh cough***__" Apparently his laughter took to much strength and he had a coughing fit._

_But the comment about his sister… it broke something in him. He swore he wouldn't let Honoka become a tool for Ichirou's ambition. He'd make sure she would have a normal and he'd bring their mother back for sure._

_But the anger for his master wouldn't disappear. It festered in him, made his blood boil with rage._

_So as his hands reached for the old man's neck, Shirahama Ichirou realized what would happen…_

* * *

**Timeskip 1 year**

"_Tenryuu? Who's that?" the mafia boss asked the martial artist before him. _

_He was dressed in a black t-shirt and black kung Fu-pants. He wore wrappings over his forearms and hands and black combatboots covered his feet. He wore a mask and a bandana which hid his face and hair from view. The only part which was visible was his arms, covered in muscle, and his eyes, cold and calculating._

"_Tenryuu is a martial artist who practices a Japanese martial art. From what I know of him, he only accepts jobs which include a lot of money and it appears he never kills innocent people, only gangsters, murderers, yakuza and other criminal. That's why he became Tenryuu (heavenly dragon)._

_At this the mob boss started shaking. "Okay, but you are stronger right? That's why I hired you, so he wouldn't get to me." He asked as he tried to reassure himself he would be okay._

"_Of course, don't worry. As soon as you show me the money you won't have to worry." The martial artist said with a smile… or a grimace. It was hard to tell when he had a mask on._

_As if on cue two men came in carrying two briefcases each. They laid them on the table and opened them. They then swiveled them around to show him the content._

_A brief inspection later… "5 million euro, exactly as we agreed. It seems everything is in order. It's a pleasure doing business with you signore De Luca." He said as he reached for a handshake._

"_Yes, for me as well, signore… I didn't get your name by the way." He said as he took the offered hand in his own._

"_You should always do background searches on who you hire, signore. The name's Shirahama, but you can call me Tenryuu._

_Ten minutes later a man walked out of the building balancing 4 briefcases while heading for the bank. He would also have to cash in the reward for the hit. Tricking his targets into paying him was always a good way to earn cash._

* * *

And that's the backgroundstory. By the time he became 18 he was already a master and by 21 he was at the level of Ryozanpaku and Yami. Some of you may find it hard to believe (I don't blame you) but Tanaka was a master by 20 and it seems he started training quite late. So I find him being a master at 18 within reason, as long as he had something to protect (Honoka).

Now the basic thing that's going to change is the age. Honoka will take Kenichi's place and become a disciple. All of her friends will be the ones in canon. Miu, Takeda, Nijima and Ryuto will all be her age and be disciple, except for Nijima who will be a demon king…

And as for his techniques… he will be able to use Seikuken and Mubiyoshi, as his martial art is a mix between kempo, karate, aikido (a martial art very similar to jiujutsu) and muay Boran. He won't have the weapons training though.

Until next time…

_Goat13_


	2. Meet The Brother

"No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong! The Soutenshu requires more power as you attack the ribcage. Like this you won't even make Touchumaru budge." He chastised his disciple.

The master was Ma Kensei, a grandmaster of Chinese Kempo… and a legendary master of ecchi. He was one of the masters at Ryozanpaku. He was currently making his disciple practice The Soutenshu, a technique the youth had already learned.

"Listen, a martial art is not something you learn once. It is something you learn all the time. If you don't remember to practice the basic techniques you will not be able to bring out the most of your ability in a fight." He said as he let the disciple take a break.

The one who was learning martial arts was a 16 year old girl with brown hair and blue eyes. For a teenager, she had a toned physique. Beneath the blue spandex she wore, you could vaguely see the muscles on her stomach. Her legs and arms were also muscular, but not bulky. Instead of focusing on the quantity of her muscles most the training went into the quality of them. Her waist was slim, but had the strength of hidden muscles and despite the training her hips and breasts was in perfect shape. Most people would call her a "ten out of ten".

Right now though her clothes were covered in sweat and her hair plastered against her face as sweat dripped down on the floor. She was panting from the numerous training exercises her*cough* sadistic *cough* teachers made her do.

She was the strongest disciple in history. A disciple who learned from all the masters at Ryozanpaku. A girl who was learning, Karate, Chinese kempo, Muay thai, jiujutsu and more all at the same time.

Her name was Shirahama Honoka.

"I know, but we've been doing the same technique over and over again for an hour now. Isn't it time we move on to something new?" she asked her kempo-master.

"When I find you form to be acceptable we shall move on to new…" he never got the chance to finish the sentence as an eggtimer started ringing, symbolizing the end of the kempo for the day.

"Well Kensei, it seems the time for kempo has finished. How did it go?" a man dressed in a kimono and hakama asked as he emerged from the doorway. He had a mustache and although his pupils were barely visible, giving the illusion that he was blind, he could very much see.

"Ah, Akisame, I've making her repeat the techniques she already knew, but she hasn't gotten a better form at all. In fact I think it may have gotten worse." The short Chinese man said as he picked up a magazine with pictures of nude ladies on the cover.

"If you had given me a break every now and then, maybe I wouldn't be so tired and let my form drop!" the girl, Honoka, said as she pulled out a plastic hammer and started smacking him in the head with. Although as she was exhausted and sweaty all she managed to do was stumble on the floor and miss him.

"It seems she truly is tired. If she couldn't even hit an opponent who is standing still then I suppose there is no way she can complete my **`Endless throwing exercise from hell' **" He said as a matter of fact. "Good timing too, there is something I must do today that requires my complete attention. Honoka, you may have the rest of the day off." He informed his disciple, who beamed at him when she heard it.

"Akisame-shisho, you do have a heart after all!" She cried from the floor. Picking up her jacket from the floor she went to the bathroom to take a shower.

While she left Kensei noticed Akisame was silent and investigated.

"Did something happen while you were out, Akisame?" the jiujutsu master adopted a troubled expression.

"When Sakaki went out on his last job he met a martial art of suspicious origins. He said martial art itself was a mixture between several, but it didn't have any of the flaws of newly created arts. Even the master was suspicious; he didn't speak or give his name and even his face was covered by a mask. I find it hard to believe a master of Sakaki's level had lived in Japan and not been heard of all this time." He confessed to the Chinese man.

Kensei also find it hard to believe, but he found it to be interesting- he had heard something similar before. "In China I heard of a young martial artist who wore a mask. He used a weird martial art and was called Tenryuu because he came from Japan. He only went for criminals when it came to assassinations, but he was quite expensive. He was also close to masterlevel, but that was 3 years ago. To reach Sakaki's level in 3 years sound almost impossible." He told the other master.

"Hmmm, we have seen a disciple who only practiced martial arts one year defeat people who have trained all their lives. Compared to that, seeing a master become a grandmaster is not as impossible as it seems. For him to be the same person may be a little farfetched though. Nonetheless we should be wary of anything suspicious. Now that Honoka has beaten Ragnarok and become slightly famous in the world of martial arts, there's no telling to what might come after her."

"Then it's a good thing we don't have to get her parents' signatures. If we had to do that then we wouldn't be able to train her." Kensei said as he thought of the disciple's situation.

_`Yes, it is lucky we don't have to do that' _Akisame agreed in his thoughts. Since her mother was in a coma, a state which even he wouldn't be able to bring her back from and her current guardian, her brother, was out of the country on a business trip Honoka had almost zero parental control and could practically do whatever she wanted. `_Although her brother seems to have pretty good control over her behavior despite the distance. I wonder how he raised her.'_

_*Ringringringring*_

"Is that your phone, Kensei?" Akisame asked Kensei. At his negative response, he realized neither he nor Kensei had a cellphone. Looking for the source he saw Honoka's cellphone lying on the ground where it had fallen out of her jacket. Picking it up he checked the name on the screen.

"Oni?"

* * *

In the bath Honoka was thinking. Ever since she joined Ryozanpaku her health and grades had been rising, but the only reason she had joined had been to impress Miu. The blonde bombshell had been a large source of inspiration for the slightly younger (a few months really) and as time passed she realized she may have feelings for the other girl. As she continued to train she understood her feelings as she researched. In the end she understood that she was in love, but even if she knew that she couldn't act on those feelings. She was the granddaughter to the invincible superman, Hayato Furinji, a man that wouldn't let anyone date his granddaughter. If she a girl came out to Miu then it would be even harder. Maybe one day when they were both masters she would…

No, even if elder agreed what about her brother? Kenichi had been gone most of the years, only stopping to make sure she was fine and happy. Everytime he would stay they would spend about a week together until he left. In total, every year they saw eachother for maybe 4 months. This year however, he hadn't seen her at all. Something big had happened at the company and they would only call eachother.

Every month she would find her allowance on her bankaccount and he would call, but when it came to rules he was adamant. No fighting whatsoever, make sure you behave and don't stand out. That had been the mantra he had taught her and it had worked surprisingly well… Until now that is.

A year ago she had met Miu and had been introduced to Ryozanpaku. When Miu said how fun it was to live there she had decided to learn martial arts. Thinking she would only try it for now she didn't tell Kenichi about it. He would only tell her `No fighting' and stop her from trying. As time passed she learned to enjoy it, despite the harsh training and delinquents trying to fight her. The masters were also kind, albeit slightly sadistic. Now she couldn't even imagine he life without Ryozanpaku or Miu.

A voice outside the bathroom brought her back from her musings.

"Hello, this is Koetsuji Akisame. Honoka is currently unable to answer her phone right now." A paus. "I'm one of her instructors in martial arts, I teach jiujutsu." Another paus, only slightly longer. "Yes she is currently learning several martial arts and has been for almost a year now…. Yes, I'll put her on the phone." She heard the master knock on the door and heard him say…

"Honoka, it seems your brother wishes to have a word with you."

_`FUCK!'_

* * *

As he got off the plane, he picked up his phone. This was the first time in over a year he would meet Honoka and he had a surprise for her. After the last job involving stealing a high-level security system he had been chased by a karateuser. Normally this wasn't an issue, but the Karateka had been persistent and hadn't let him go despite running for 3 days nonstop. In the end Kenichi had used a forest as a cover and had lost him on the fourth day. Now he had time for a vacation and would surprise his sister with a visit.

Wearing an expensive black suit with a red tie, he looked like the paragon of a successful businessman. His brown hair was tied up in a braid that went down to the end of his spine and his black sunglasses hid his eyes from view. A healthy diet and training had allowed him to grow into a height normal Japanese people didn't reach. Like most grandmasters his muscles had a major focus on quality rather than quantity and as such he had a relative slim appearance. Despite that he was still more muscular than any average person and even through the suit one could tell he was ripped.

He hailed a cab and pressed the dialbutton. As the women around him whispered and pointed at him and his impressive physique, he waited for Honoka to pick up.

On the fourth ring someone picked up.

"Hello, this is Koetsuji Akisame. Honoka is currently unable to answer her phone right now." _Akisame? Where have I heard that before? Is it a neighbor?_

"Yes, hello my name is Kenichi and I'm looking for Honoka. May I ask how you know her?" he asked the man, as it was clearly a man, not a boy if you listened to the voice.

"I'm one of her instructors in martial arts. I teach her jiujutsu."

Silence…

"Are you saying you are teaching my little sister martial arts and that she is learning from several instructors at the same time?" Kenichi asked the man over the phone. This was not a good day for him.

"Yes she is currently learning several martial arts and has been for almost a year now…"

"That's okay, could please put her on the phone right now. I need to have a word with her." He cut him off as he gritted his teeth.

It was time he had a word with his sister about keeping secrets.

* * *

**Later that night at The Shirahama residence…**

He was waiting in the livingroom, the same room that started his hellish life and ended his childhood. This was the room Honoka had spent most of her time as well. When she was young she thought all the training he endured was a game so she didn't know he practiced martial arts, a compromise he appreciated as when they moved the furniture out of the way and trained she left as she didn't like the game `Nii-chan' was playing.

Now he sat here contemplating on his next move. Who was Akisame and why was he teaching her martial arts. Sure he was most likely only teaching her the techniques a normal person could use, but why did his name sound so familiar?

Truth be told, Kenichi was not a known figure in the world of martial arts. He was a grandmaster yes, but he never kept a high profile. As a result any info that came his way was not reliable and even then he didn't really mind.

If he had kept a more open head for the famous people who practiced martial arts he would know who Akisame was as well who the Karateka who had been chasing him was, but he didn't so he remained blissfully unaware of Ryozanpaku and Yami.

What should he do now though? Honoka had started martial arts and lots of them to boot. Karate, kempo, jiujutsu and muay thai… martial arts similar to his own actually…

Could he take over her training by himself and teach her Ryuujin Tennin? Should he? No, bad enough she started at all, but he would not let her fall into the world Satsujinken.

But should he let her continue with what she has started? Even though she was learning from a normal human, a person could, if enough effort was spent, become stronger than an average person using such teaching. Worst case scenario, she becomes a disciple class and meets a master. Even if the master follows Katsujinken she could still die.

It would be for the best if she just stopped altogether, but when she had described the dojo she had sounded so happy. He hadn't heard her be like that since the Tokyo-earthquake. Can he really take that away from her?

Once again he found himself unable to come up with a definite answer. It seems the only way to proceed would be to let her continue. Besides, she was practicing so many martial arts at the same time. Eventually she'll burn herself out and quit…

That was what he was hoping for at least.

"Nii-chan." He heard someone say from the doorway. He looked up and saw his sister; only she didn't look like she had when he last saw her.

She had lost the babyfat around her cheeks and she had a good physique, much better than if she would have had if she had gone to a normal dojo. Right now she looked like she had potential to reach mastery. What kind of dojo was she training at? Suspicious…

"Hi Honoka, how are…" he had started a greeting when he noticed another girl behind her. She was blonde girl, the same age as Honoka, but while Honoka had a potential body this girl was already starting her steps into the world of real martial arts. Even more interesting was that she seemed to have been walking this path a long time. She wore a purple spandex-suit and a red jacket on top it

"Hi Nii-chan! This is Miu, my classmate. She's also one of the people who practice at the dojo I go to. She's actually the owner's granddaughter so she's really good at martial arts." Honoka said as she introduced her friend.

_`This is strange. A normal dojo shouldn't have training which gives such a physique. Is there a master over there? Is it that Akisame? Or is it one of the others?_' He thought frantically as he stared at the younger girl. Apparently Miu noticed his stare as she felt uncomfortable and started squirming.

"Um, is there something wrong Shirahama-san? You've been staring for a while now." She asked him while trying to cover her chest. Apparently she thought he was staring at her assets instead of her muscles.

"No, no!" He quickly denied. It wouldn't do to get for them to get suspicious. He needed to get to the bottom of this. "I just thought that your outfit is unlike a normal gi. What martial art are you learning?" he asked her to change the subject.

Apparently it worked as she lost all discomfort and happily began to speak. "My grandpa is the one who taught me a hybrid martial art, it means he took a mixture of different techniques and tailored them into a single martial art. It doesn't really have a name though. My clothes just make it easier to move. Honoka have one as well, though hers is blue and a smaller size. Kensei keeps saying it would be better if she was bigger, but I don't think the size of one's muscles means anything." She started a small rant, impressing Kenichi with her ability to shift from discomfort to excitement with a single subject.

He didn't like what she had said about Kensei and size though. He didn't like to think about some old man making lewd comments about his sister. And Kensei was also a name he recognized, though not in a good way.

Ma Kensei was a martial artist who led the phoenix alliance and a grandmaster. In china he was considered to be one of the strongest masters. He was also a known pervert and sleazebag. Rumors said he was japan and his wife and daughters were the one's leading the alliance now. Could it be that the master who was teaching Honoka was Ma Kensei? She did say she was learning Chinese kempo and he was a specialist in that area. Was it possible?

"By the way, what were the names of your masters? I only heard Akisame's name, but you mentioned a Kensei. Who's he?" he asked, trying to sound merely curious, not cautious.

"Well, Akisame is a jiujutsu master, but he's called the philosophical jiujutsu master. Apachai Hopachai is a muay thai-master and he has a childish personality. Kosaka Shigure is a weapons-mistress and doesn't teach a lot, because we usually use barehanded techniques. Sakaki Shio is a karate-master and quite rude, but deep inside he's just a big softy. Ma Kensei was a big leader in china, but here he's just a pervert. Oh and then there's my grandpa Hayato Furinji. He's a pretty famous person in terms of martial arts, but now he all he does is own our dojo, Ryozanpaku." Miu explained to the older man.

Kenichi was silent a moment as he took everything in. It seems his earlier worst-case-scenario was not the worst after all.

"Shirahama-san, are you okay? You look like something's wrong…" she asked him.

"Ah, it's nothing at all. I was just surprised by your masters. They seem to be quite a colorful bunch, don't they?" he said.

"Yes they are, though once you get to know them they aren't so bad." She smiled and they laughed.

`_So Honoka is learning martial arts from Ryozanpaku, is she? I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing, but I will have to meet these masters of her. If only to see if they are who they say they are.' _He thought.

"So Honoka, Miu do you think maybe I can meet them sometime? I need to make sure they can teach you properly." He said with a grin. The look on their faces told him they thought he was a normal human, despite his physique.

"I don't think that's a good idea. They are really busy and can have trouble holding back when sparring." They didn't want him meeting them because if he saw the insane training then he wouldn't let Honoka remain as a disciple. Considering she'd beaten Ragnarok a week ago that meant she needed the training more than ever.

"Nonsense, I did little martial arts in my years. I'm confident I can hold my own against anyone I may meet. Besides how can I be the leader of the Shirahama family if I can't teach my little sister how to use martial arts?" he boasted loudly on purpose, giving them the illusion that he didn't really know martial arts.

Honoka sighed at this. When he got confident, he wouldn't back down even if he was outmatched. It was a habit he never got rid of despite him growing up and traveling the world. She just hoped none of the masters hurt him too badly.

* * *

The next day they were standing outside of the Ryozanpaku dojo with Miu and Honoka wearing their battleclothes and Kenichi wearing a loose-fitting jersey and black jeans. As he moved to the gate, Miu started speaking.

"Kenichi-san…" she had stopped calling him Shirahama-san after he insisted it made him sound old. "Maybe I should open the gate, it is old and heavy. Most people can't budge it at all…" she stopped when he opened the gate using one from a standing position, not even bracing himself.

"It wasn't so tough as I thought it would be. Now let us get going. I have a spar waiting with a master waiting for me." He smiled at their shocked expression. Perhaps they would realize he was not just an average person after all now.

"Oh, it seems we have a guest today." A deep came from above. Looking up Kenichi saw a blonde giant. His beard and moustache gave him the appearance of a wise sage, which he most likely was, but the way his kimono was unable to conceal his muscles was a clear indication of his true nature.

`_This man is most likely Furinji Hayato, Miu-san's grandfather. His appearance gives of the feeling of a kind man, but if the rumors about him are true then I should be wary of him'_ Kenichi thought.

"My apologies for the sudden visit, but my name is Shirahama Kenichi. I'm Honoka's older brother and I came to see how she is doing. A pleasure to meet you." Although his clothes concealed his own muscles, the way the elderly was looking at him meant he already knew he was a martial artist.

_`It appears that the world truly is wide, if someone could tell who I was just by looking at me.' _

It seemed that meeting Honoka's masters would be an interesting experience…

* * *

**Hello and I hoped you enjoyed the second chapter of **_**A Master's Art.**_** As you may have noticed from my other stories, I'm trying to improve the content of my stories. Unlike the other fanfics this one will be more focused the now and I will not simply rush through the story. Please tell me if I make any grammatical mistakes.**

**On another note, I'm sure you noticed that Honoka is in love with Miu. One of the major snags I found while writing was that if Kenichi didn't meet Miu than how would he fall in love? Also why would Honoka join the dojo? By putting Honoka as Miu's loveinterest I can avoid having to create an OC or put on of the other guys in the story (who I may or may not like. I mean seriously, I don't know how Kisara could fall in love with Ukita or Freya with Thor.) **

**The other snag was who should Kenichi be with? I was thinking about making a harem like in the manga, But with whom? The only masters in the story who are attractive women are** **Kushinada Mikumo and Kosaka Shigure. Even if I go on a stretch and add Sakaki Shio's sister I still wouldn't be able to create a real story. **

**Thus I'm forced to depend on the thoughts of the reader.**

**Who do you think should become a member of his harem?**

**Alternatives:**

**Nanjo Kisara**

**Furinji Miu**

**Ma Renka **

**Kokorone Rimi**

**Kugatachi Kaname**

**Radin Tidat Lona**

**Shirahama Honoka (I'm desperate now. I could always add an excuse saying she's adopted or they're cousins. Doesn't matter, It's your choice.)**

**Rachel Stanley**

**Kushinada Chikage (if she joins then she will be Honoka's age of course, *Perverts*)**

**Li Raichi**

**Izayoi (Mad sword-chick that Kensei fought in Okinawa… kind of hot when she was crazy…)**

**These were all the women I could find. Leave a review or a message on who you want to join, and it will most likely be a small harem so max 3-4 with one being the main.**

**Allright, I'll see you next time!**


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